Reuniting
by divergentrookie
Summary: One-shot. Ward escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and ran to New Jersey. He changed his name and opened a bar. He meets his childhood friend who helps him realized that he needed one thing...closure.


**AN: HEY GUYS! THIS IS A ONE-SHOT ABOUT WARD. HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE EXCEPT MY OC.**

I ran. I don't look back. I didn't care about anything anymore. I give up. I've ran my whole life. I've ran from my parents. From Christian. From the truth. All I've ever done was run. That's all I know how to do. It's all I can do right now.

**Reuniting**

Five year have passed. Five years since I have seen the team. Five years since I had ran away. Five years since I had any contact with anyone in my past. You could say that I had it easy in a way. No one was looking for me, Christian made sure of that. After all, he wouldn't want people worrying about his rouge little brother running around. But either way, it doesn't matter, I changed my name to Matthew Pitts and I own a bar in New Jersey. I actually like it here. People don't ask too many questions, they just like having a good time.

Believe it or not, I became a more social person. I don't think Maria Hill would've given me a poop with knives sticking out of it if she saw me now. The one thing that hasn't changed about me is the fact that I'm the same muscular man I was five years ago. One of the few things I'm actually proud of.

It's been a long day of work. Nothing out of the ordinary. The regulars came by for a drink after a long day of work. Most of them are with law enforcement. Sometimes they share stories. Some of them are even with the military and whenever they visit, the share their war stories. It is sometimes refreshing to actually hear someone else's stories rather than reliving my own. It reminds me that I'm not the only one with demons that haunt me every night.

I was wiping down the counter when my last costumer walked in. Without looking up, I greeted them.

"Hi, what can I get you?" I asked politely.

"A cold beer would be nice," she responded. That voice sounded extremely familiar. I looked up to see a woman in her late twenties sitting down in front of me. She had straight brown hair with light blue eyes. I know her. I know I know her. I just can't put my finger on from where.

"Coming right up Ma'am," I responded as I turned around to get her drink.

She laughed. "Please, call me Vera. Ma'am just makes me sound extremely old, which I'd like to think I'm not."

Everything fell into place. I knew her.

"Vera Volkov? How's Russia treating you?" I asked.

Her smile fell. She quickly stood up. "Who are you and how do you know me?"

"Vera chill, it's me. Grant."

"Grant? No that's not right. The Grant I knew is still in jail," she said as she shook her head.

"Vera, how many other people here have you told that you were in Russia for the past ten years?"

"Grant, it is you. How did you get out? You were charged with attempted murder," she whispered.

I smiled. "Long story."

She sat down again. "I've got time."

"Okay, here it goes…"I told her my story. From beginning to end. It was nice to see her again. The last time I saw her, I was in military school. We were both kids with troubled pasts. Her parents died in a house fire in Russia. She got adopted not soon after. Few years later, her family moved here, into America and she was enrolled into military school. Surprisingly, it was the one place she felt truly safe. She was always being abused both mentally and physically back at home. Eventually, she got recruited by an agency and was deployed to Russia for a mission.

I finished my story after an hour. For a while Vera didn't say anything.

"Go after her, "she said.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Skye, the girl, go after her."

"Can't. She probably moved on already."

"If she did, good for her. Either way, both of you need closure."

"I don't know where she is. She lives on a plane after all remember?"

She smirked. "So you're saying the legendary Grant Ward can't track down a girl. That's pathetic. Grant, from what you just told me, you can find this girl in your sleep. You just need to figure out how."

"Even if I did, she won't ever forgive me."

"Don't be so sure, Grant. You're a good person. You just haven't been that person for a while. You've changed. A lot. And from what you just told me, this girl loves you. You'd be surprised how love makes you do crazy things. She'll forgive you Grant, trust me. You just need to give her the chance to. She can't forgive if she doesn't know the real you. The new at least. Find her Grant. After all Mary Pickford did once say, 'The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.' You have a second chance Grant. Use it."

Vera got up as she passed me a five dollar bill along with her number. "Call if you need help. Just go after her, okay?"

"I will," I responded. With that she walked out the door without a second glance.

I laughed quietly to myself. Even after all these years, she still is that bossy girl I met twenty years ago. I knew better than to ignore her. Tomorrow I'm going to find Skye. I won't run this time.

I closed up the bar and walked back to my apartment. I packed a go bag and laid down on my bed. Vera was right. I did need closure. Then again, it's Vera, she's always right.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


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